One eye skydiving

[selwynj 0]

Hi there all,
I was wondering if there are any skydivers out there that are blind in one eye? How does this affect your landings? Does this allow you to progress to smaller canopies? My brother has sight in one eye only, but has asked me about skydiving. He has a microlight pilot licence and and flies model jet aircraft. Any suggestions?

“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA

[mx757 4]

there two jumpers that are both blind. there was a web site of one.. it was a riot to read some of his adventures.. jumping blind...off airport landings, no radio's..one jumps in Ohio, other is in washingtom state I beilive. John Fleming?? I thnk was the name.. I'm sure someone on this site will know...

Mike

[BillyVance 34]

Hi there all,
I was wondering if there are any skydivers out there that are blind in one eye? How does this affect your landings? Does this allow you to progress to smaller canopies? My brother has sight in one eye only, but has asked me about skydiving. He has a microlight pilot licence and and flies model jet aircraft. Any suggestions? ***

One of our own deaf skydivers is blind in one eye. It was a child-hood injury, though it didn't stop him from learning to drive cars, fly airplanes, or go skydiving. He has taken flying lessons off and on for several years, and has been skydiving for 21 years with over 2300 jumps. The one thing he notices on his jumps is that there is no depth perception. He also has limited range of eye sight, and has to really turn his head to the left to compensate for the loss of sight in his left eye. He's jumped a 150 s.f. canopy for years loaded about 1.2:1 and has done well.

I say tell your brother to go for it, but the instructor training him should know about the blindness so he can compensate for it during the training.

As for the 2 blind skydivers, yeah they're Dan Rossi and John Fleming. Dan always has a joke to tell about his disability. For reading material, take a look at this site: http://crw.boxofclue.com/skydive/rossi.html
These are stories Dan wrote about his experiences.

Blue Skies
Billy

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[flyangel2 2]

Drop foxyroxtail a PM and have her husband give you some hints. He skydives and is also a pilot

Itdiver is also a good resource, drop her a line. She too skydives and does video.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[selwynj 0]

Thanx for the info. I will pass this on to him and hopefully he will start jumping. I'll send him for a tandem first.

“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA

[ltdiver 3]

Thanks, Mar, for the mention. It's LTdiver here. I know that in my lowercase user name it does look like an "I". Oh well. I'm an IT anyway (sometimes) .

Yep. Lost my left eye in a horse related accident back in 1988. Driving has never been a problem 'cause you actually think you're closer than you really are...so you seem to be overly cautious when driving. Funny thing, however, is that my parallel parking improved after losing the eye. ;^)

On to skydiving. Well, the two things that seem to be of most concern is having to turn my head to the left alot more than others have to (to get the whole picture in frame) and depth perception. (remember, things look closer than they really are, so unless I'm compensating for that, grips are a few inches away when I -think- I'm there).

If selwyn wants some more pointers, have them drop me a PM. Always willing to help out a fellow skydiver.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[jkwskydive 0]

Hi,
Billy Said well.
I am profundly deaf and blind in one left eye and I dont hae ability to speak orally but sign and write.
From my experience in skydiving (especially top man for CRW). Ski goggles or thick framed eyeglasses are not highly recommended because they limit the range of visibility. Any hard helmet with full visor or wire-framed eyeglasses are good choices for wide range for one eye.
john

[IanHarrop 37]

My girl friend is blind in one eye and she does just fine at every things she does (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Now she pretty light at 110 lbs and jumps a 170, transitional gear as she is still pretty new at this, but she's never had a problem landing. From her stand point she been with out the use of the eye for her whole life and she has just learned to compensate.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[kosanke 0]

I have been blind in my right eye since Vietnam. I lost my flight physical in 1972 because of that. It took a year dealing with the FAA to get back into flying. I took up jumping after losing my physical again. The FAA doesn't care if you can't see.
Depth perception is an issue that can be dealt with. You learn how to adjust and correct problems. Students have to deal with this also. Your brother should do fine. Just go a little slower in the downsizing process.

[reprobate 0]

I only have one eye and was concerned about not having any depth perception and was (happily) suprised to find I compensated for it easily.
What your brother may get into is a situation where he may have to lay off if he has some eye problem. This can happen with anyone but is especialy critical with a one-eye.
I have been under a doctors watch after an eye injury in a bicycle race and the doc has been watching for any retina separation. Happy to say it hasn't happened and I am no longer have a bloody outlook on things! Your brother should wear glasses under goggles to insure against anything getting in his usable eye. Stuff can get by simple glasses.

Carl

[selwynj 0]

thanx to all for the information.

“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

I have been blind in my right eye since Vietnam. I lost my flight physical in 1972 because of that. It took a year dealing with the FAA to get back into flying. I took up jumping after losing my physical again. The FAA doesn't care if you can't see.
Depth perception is an issue that can be dealt with. You learn how to adjust and correct problems. Students have to deal with this also. Your brother should do fine. Just go a little slower in the downsizing process.

***

I'm not sure I understand the FAA's position on this, unless you're trying to restore your old license. John Woo, who is blind in one eye, has been taking flying lessons in a C172 off and on for years. He favors only one instructor, who is in Florida, so whenever he's down there and has time, he takes a lesson or two. I imagine that being totally deaf in both ears AND blind (fake eye) in one eye, would only allow him a limited license where he can only fly into non-tower controlled airports. But at least he would be allowed to fly somewhat.

Maybe you won't get the old qualifications back, but you could still fly with the limited license... better than nothing I suppose.

Blue Skies
Billy

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[kosanke 0]

Thanks Billy. I lost my medical in 1998 not due directly with the right eye blindness, but to the medication that I was put on at the time of blindness. It caused other problems and after being on prednisone for 24 years, other areas began to give me problems. I retired off the B-747, so if I got my medical back, flying a C-172 just would'nt have the fun and challenge that jumping has to offer.
Also, I don't have the FAA telling me they are here to help, and only getting in the way with tons of paperwork.

[StevePhelps 0]

I lost most of my sight in my left eye this summer (retinal vein blockage) While it has improved from very bad to bad after steroid injections (yes, into the eye itself) I know I still have less depth perception than before. I continue to skydive every weekend and earned my D and coach's rating AFTER the loss of vision. My downsizing days are over though. At 225 lbs w/o gear I'm staying with my Sabre 190! I say "Go for it!" just be careful when landing on no wind days or night jumps.

[sunshine 2]

I only see with my right eye. My left eye has limited vision. The only way it will attempt to focus on anything is if i close my right eye and force it to work. Even then everything is shrouded in a black cloud with double vision and i can barely see. I have a blind side off the left and just dont' see things coming up on me from that side. I have no idea if thats to blame for my landing issues or not. It does indeed make life challenging, but i deal with it.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[jbrasher 0]

I'll agree with LTdiver.

I've had a PRO rating and been an I or over 20 years and don't have binocular vision.

You look around more but hell you should be doing that anyway

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[Tinkerbelle 5]

Hi There,
I have no vision in one eye and only limited vision in the other, corrected to 20/200. I can not pass a flight physical to get my pilot's lisence, although having been engaged to a pilot I got to fly a lot around Washington and Alaska mostly. I took my ground school and soloed, but could not get the piece of paper. I also can not pass a diver's test, but do get a note from the doctor allowing me to drive.
Skydiving wise, I don't have any trouble, but like to position myself on formations so that the most important grip is not on my blind side, and the approach is with my the important stuff on my good side. For instance, if I have the option, I like to be on the right side of a diamond since my left eye is my better eye, etc...

Landing is more difficult. I am 100 lbs without gear, and jump a Sabre 135. Even that is scary sometimes in light to no winds, and higher altitude. I like to set up near tall stuff to establish some reference for where I am above the ground at landing time. Landing in an open field is tricky. I think the limited sight people would do better with a larger canopy that is more foregiving. For those full sightes people, I suppose landing with one eye is like a night landing. Good to know that if you flare too high, not to let up fully on the toggles, but to just go half way, then flare again fully!

Also, contants are better for skydiving than glasses. Even though they tend not to correct as well as glasses, you need more of the distance correction than the close up, that goes for bifocal wearers as well. I have such a radical difference in reading and distance corrections in my good eye, that I choose the distance correction for skydiving. I could not read a book as well with contacts, but they give you a wider field of view and better periferal vision than glasses, which is important for skydiving.

Other than that, you just learn to compensate as you do driving a car or doing anything else. Good Luck
Luv-n-stuff
Tinkerbelle

Rehab is for quitters.

[Tinkerbelle 5]

Also,
Because of the issue of air drying out contacts, and the fact that if I lose the one in my good eye I am lost up there with no idea of anything below expect brown, green, and blue, I always carry a small bottle of saline in my jump suit and douce my eyes about 9,000 feet, then let them dry a bit, then put on my goggles and helmet. Freddies with clear rims and the holes taped up are the best way to go. Then I blow up in them until exit to prevent fogging. Sometimes I do a mad dash wipe at the last minute on exit to clear away any fog. I also spend from about 4,000-6,000ft. cleaning my goggles with moist heat from my breath and a fresh paper towel or hankerchief stuffed in my pocket. With limited sight every little bit of vision is that much more critical. I always make sure to buy a new pair of goggles when they get slightly old or if they get a scratch or blotch on them. I see those people with scratched up visors, and don't know how they do it. It is better for limited sight people to jump with a helmet and goggles, 'cause that way you can always buy a new pair of goggles frequently, where as a new visor is more difficult to come by in a pinch. Also, I have often heard of visors coming open or air getting in, or if not, for sure fogging up. Goggles are much easier to deal with in all those respects. I have only on rare occasions had my goggles kicked off or out of place, but can put them back on easily in the sky. I am sure to fit my goggles tightly.
If you have any questions for a very limited sighted very experienced jumper, please contact me at:
[email protected]
Luv-n-stuff
Tinkerbelle

Rehab is for quitters.

[Tinkerbelle 5]

Also,
Wear Freddys or Froggies, or whatever goggles with the holes taped up, being sure to cut the tape so it just covers the holes and not anything else to get in the way of every last precious available window space. Even though I have a small face, I get the larger ones, as compared to the smaller ones, there are 2 sizes, to give me more periferal windshield to look through. Do not wear the big brown ones with brown rims for glasses, but the smaller ones, the clear, soft, pliable plastic ones with rolled plastic rims, because they fit more snugly to the contour of your face. Often before long you have to superglue the rims on, since the sun causes them to shrimk and separate from the shield part. Also, you need to superglue and tape the corner where the rims separate and shrink. After that, they work great and last longer.

There is some debate about whether clear rims are better or black ones. Apparently as with SCUBA masks, the black rims are said to cut down on some of the glare coming in and being distorted by the clear rims. Personally I prefer the clear rims since they at least give me a sense of better periferal awareness, and do not distract my eye by something colored at the perifery that is not another jumper flying by.
With those goggles, if you do happen to lose a contact, as compared to a full face helmet where the contact could go anywhere, if a contact does come out it will always be stuck within the form fitting plastic goggle and can easily be retrieved after landing, being careful to take them off over a table and maybe have a friend help you look. They are usually stuck to the plastic lens at the bottom of the goggle, or maybe even your eye lid. It is always a great idea to take a spare pair of contact with you on skydiving trips or any vacation for that matter, but that way, if you do lose one, your skydiving trip is not ruined.

Sometimes I tell the organizer about my only having one eye, but usually only if they ask why I insist on positioning myself on the right side of the line up with the people on my left, good side, so that I have a clear side on my bad side on exit, and being on the right side of the formation, or if I want to switch slots with someone, to keep the action and grips more on my left, good side. Otherwise I just keep quiet about it.

Skydivers don't like to be made aware that someone on the load has a limitation. It just makes you stand out as having special needs, which you don't want to do. If I can not have the slot I want, I just deal with it. Organizers don't like to have to make accomodations for one person. It's like pointing out to a shark that you have a cut or an open wound. It just makes you apprear more vulnerable, and less capable than the other jumpers, and gives yourself a red flag right off the bat, which makes you automatically more highly scrutinized than the rest. If you point out a limitation, the organizer is more likely to watch you closely and expect you to screw up in trying to compensate.

As you all know, it is great to stand out on the ground and be noticed, but when it comes to larger ways or skydives, you never want to stand out or be noticed, unless it's in a good way. If you have a limitation, that automatically makes you seem less desirable and less capable than the rest, even if you are not. Organizers want to have all the best jumpers, working at tip top performance, not limited or crippled in any way, which you would be pointing out you are ahead of time, even if you are awesome.

If you do mention it to the organizer, better to do so after a couple of jumps to first prove yourself before you point out any shortcomings. Then you will get extra credit after the fact for performing so well, in spite of limited vision.

Good Luck, and stay with a larger canopy! Why risk injuring yourself on the ground, just to have a smaller pack, go faster, or look cooler. There is plenty of fun to be had in the air, and if you screw up a landing, which you are more likely to do with limited vision and no or less debth perception, even if you have just less vision in one eye, then you don't even get to do the fun stuff in the air! I routinely flare too high, since as ITDIVER pointed out, things always look closer than they are, and as a result, my knees are messed up too. It's just too scary to have the ground going by so fast when you have no idea if you're 8 feet off the ground or 2.

I admire those swoopers. They are trusting their lives to their debth perception within a couple inches. That is something we limited sighted, one eyed people can admire and oogle at from a far, but not something we ever want to try. The demands are more than we can handle physiologically, and the risks are just too great!

Good Luck to you one eyes or 4 eyes as I was always called, to which I would reply, "4 eyes are better than 2"! I also grew up with horn rimmed glasses wearing a big ugly white gause patch over my good eye as a kid trying to strengthen my bad eye. It didn't work, but sure gave me a complex! I was teased mercilessly! Mother would always get the tape too long and it would go all the way up into my hair and down my cheeks and nose. It sucked growing up that way always teased. I tried that "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me" thing, but that just inspired the kids to throw sticks and stones and lemons at me! I got them back though when we got a dog, and it was my job to clean up the dog messes. I always had a bucket of dog poop and a shovel which worked great for slinging poop. That quieted the neighbor hood kids quite a bit, and they all wanted me on their team, hated to be the opponent on the receiving end of my dog poop bombs!

Tootles Tink!

Rehab is for quitters.

[Tinkerbelle 5]

You know, maybe my only having one eye and limited vision in that one is why I think Carl Daugherty is so stunningly gorgeous, while others of you have disagreed. If you squint a little and blurr your vision, I guess he doesn't look quite so scary. I just go by feel like I do in the sky, and he has that OPS (Old People Skin) that is so soft, compared to the tight hard stuff of youth, that isn't the least bit velvety. I guess the skin gets sort of like a cat's where it is only attached at a few places, so it slides under you fingers better.
Yeah, I know, take it to Talk Back, but I can't! I am not allowed there any more. But in fact it is on topic 'cause it is the result of my experience one eye skydivering.
Tink (that's the one eye emoticon)

Rehab is for quitters.

[Topcat 0]

Quote

Hi there all,
I was wondering if there are any skydivers out there that are blind in one eye? How does this affect your landings? Does this allow you to progress to smaller canopies? My brother has sight in one eye only, but has asked me about skydiving. He has a microlight pilot licence and and flies model jet aircraft. Any suggestions?

Since he flies, he shouldn't have a problem with skydiving. My husband is blind in one eye and he has 3000+ jumps, pilot's license, is a videographer, tandem master and AFF instructor. He weighs about 180 and flies a 149 and 139 canopy respectively and has never had problems w/ landing.

I won't talk about his ability to hit the side of the garage when pulling in.

But in all reality, your brother should give it a try. He'll be able to judge how it limits him better than any one.

-Sandy

[JVig 0]

I have a friend named "One Eyed Phil" who lost his sight in his other eye due to an accident. Currently he is flying a Jedi 98, and nailing it every time. Good luck to your brother

--------------------------------------------------
Just remember.....if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

[jkwskydive 0]

Hey,
I am totally deaf from birth and blind in my left eye from play accident when I was 10 years old. Anyway, I have no problem with skydiving at all but one difficulty as a top man for CRW. I can not see anyone approaching toward me, left behind me while I can see right behind. I have done with my friend Billy Vance twice at Skydive Monroe and Golden Coast Skydiving. I feel like seeing with both eyes (but actually one). I do not even think of any vision problem.

[SkyPsycho 0]

Quote

I have a friend named "One Eyed Phil" who lost his sight in his other eye due to an accident. Currently he is flying a Jedi 98, and nailing it every time. Good luck to your brother

jedei 96.........just dont try crw with him on your right side............youll wonder why hes flailing back and forth till ya hear him scream yer on his bad side......

and whats he nailing? i thought ya werent takin one for the team........

_______________________________
HK MP5SD.........silence is golden

[peregrinerose 0]

I did my first AFF Sunday, one of my coaches is blind in one eye, but did a hell of a job coaching me.

I'm also an eye doc with specialty in low vision rehab (working with folks who are legally blind/visually impaired). First regarding contacts and limited or no vision in one eye... be careful!! Contacts inherently have risk associated with them, corneal ulcer, corneal abrasion, permanent vision loss, so take them seriously. I will only fit monocular patients in contacts if I am comfortable with them being absolutely anal about care, never sleeping in contacts, throwing them out on schedule, etc. The best option is a one day contact lens since it is nearly impossible to have an ill effect from these lenses (and what I wear myself because I'm too lazy to clean lenses ;-) Bonus of that is that it's easy to keep plenty of spare lenses lying around on the chance that you lose them.

ONLY Polycarbonate goggles should be used for jumping just for safety reasons, they will prevent an eye injury where most other materials will not.

Congenital or long term vision loss in one eye isn't a big deal as you've learned to compensate for it in a million different ways that folks with binocular vision can't even begin to understand. Same with congenital vision loss in both eyes. People who recently lost vision in one eye should be more careful just because they don't have quite the same adaptations and everyone gains these at a different rate. Doesn't mean you shouldn't jump, just be more aware of the limitations, no swooping or other higher risk jumping for the first few jumps just to be sure that depth adaptation is okay.

Jen Galbraith OD, MS

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda